Food Wastage According to Socioeconomic Context in a Group of Families in the City of Puno

Introduction: Food is the basis for a person to have a healthy life. However, a large part of humanity does not have full access to food. Objective: To quantify the different types of food waste, the amount of nutrients lost and the sociodemographic characteristics of the people who prepare food. Material and methods: This study was carried out in 931 families residing in a block in the western zone of the city of Puno, with the purpose of analyzing food wastage. Food preparers in these families were surveyed to collect information on their sociodemographic characteristics and the amount of food wasted. The survey included five dimensions exploring different aspects of food wastage, and the validity and reliability of the instrument used was assured. Results: The main socioeconomic characteristics of those responsible for food preparation included being mothers between 20 and 34 years of age, self-employed and with higher education. The most wasted food group is vegetables and fruits. Mainly 5.8 kg of tubers and vegetables and 5.4 kg of vegetables are wasted. In addition, the macronutrient intake of wastage totals 4169.0 g of protein, 2514.1 g of fat and 22055.8 g of carbohydrates. Conclusions: A worrisome picture of food waste is presented. Therefore, it is important to reduce them by making better use of available resources.